The leaders of FedEx Corp., Clean Energy Fuels Corp. and the State of Oklahoma just opened a state-of-the-art compressed natural gas station that will allow over 100 FedEx Freight Class 8 trucks to use the convenience of fast-fueling as well as money-saving time-fueling. Also at today’s ceremony, Clean Energy announced that it expects to supply the station with its Redeem™ renewable natural gas vehicle fuel in the near future. This will expand the use of Redeem, which can reduce greenhouse gas emissions up to 70% as compared to diesel, to yet another state and demonstrates the growing popularity of the fuel to meet companies’ and municipalities’ sustainability goals.
The event at the FedEx Freight Oklahoma City Service Center was attended by Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin, FedEx chairman and CEO Fred Smith, Clean Energy co-founder Boone Pickens, and Clean Energy president and CEO Andrew Littlefair, as well as many other federal, state and local and industry officials.
“As one of the largest logistics companies in the world, FedEx does its homework when charting a new course and their decision to open up a major CNG fueling center was no different,” said Andrew J. Littlefair, CEO and president of Clean Energy. “Led by Fred’s vision, the company has always had a commitment to operate on the highest sustainable level. Transitioning a portion of FedEx Freight’s fleet to a fuel that will substantially reduce greenhouse gas emissions is another example of their leadership.”
FedEx purchased more than 100 CNG powered tractors and contracted Clean Energy to design build and maintain the station. The FedEx Freight facility includes a four-lane, fast-fill station as well as a time-fill station which has six zones and 18 hoses. The fueling station is estimated to dispense approximately 2.5 million gasoline gallon equivalents per year, and uses Clean Energy’s new CleanCNG™ compressors, which produce the cleanest downstream gas, ensuring cleaner combustion at the vehicle.
To kick off the event, NGVAmerica President Matt Godlewski presented the annual NGV Achievement Award to Michael Ducker, president and CEO of FedEx Freight, for his company’s leadership in alternative fuel transportation.
“It was an honor for NGVAmerica to be at such an important event to recognize Mike Ducker and FedEx Freight for their commitment to natural gas fueling,” said Matthew Godlewski, President of NGVAmerica. “As we continue to advocate for the industry to legislators in Washington and businesses around the nation, it’s important that we can point to transportation service providers like FedEx Freight as an example of leadership when it comes to reducing GHG emissions.”
Redeem™, often referred to as biomethane, reduces the impact on the environment because it is captured from sources like landfills and dairy farms before it is released into the atmosphere, turning that methane into a safe, useable fuel. Redeem™ is already offered in California, Oregon and Texas, and used by fleets in the refuse, transit and trucking industries. Renewable natural gas is available in commercial quantities today and can meet 100% of the fuel requirements of an 18-wheeler while achieving as much as a 70% greenhouse gas reduction.
